Room-temperature two-terminal magnetoresistance ratio reaching 0.1% in semiconductor-based lateral devices with L21-ordered Co2MnSi

Abstract

We report on the highest two-terminal magnetoresistance (MR) ratio at room temperature in semiconductor-based lateral spin-valve devices. From first-principles calculations, we predict energetically stable ferromagnet–semiconductor heterointerfaces consisting of Co2MnSi (CMS) and Ge(111) upon insertion of Fe atomic layers. Using low-temperature molecular beam epitaxy, we demonstrate L21-ordered CMS epilayers at 80 °C on Ge(111), where the CMS layer can be utilized as a spin injector and detector. Two-terminal MR ratios as high as 0.1% are achieved in n-Ge-based lateral spin-valve devices with CMS/Fe/Ge Schottky tunnel contacts annealed at 200 °C. This study will open a path for semiconductor-based spintronic devices with a large MR ratio at room temperature.